


The Reader, the Timelord, and the Wardrobe

by Whittakerjodie



Series: 13th Doctor X Reader [14]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Mostly Fluff, slight crack, stuck in the TARDIS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24745186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whittakerjodie/pseuds/Whittakerjodie
Summary: The Doctor and the Reader are preparing for the next birthday suprise on the Doctor's list- too bad the TARDIS has other ideas.
Relationships: Thirteenth Doctor/Reader
Series: 13th Doctor X Reader [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1613002
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	The Reader, the Timelord, and the Wardrobe

**Author's Note:**

> This is so random but I lvoe it and I hope that you do, too! Once again originally posted on my tumblr of the same username, whittakerJodie

You dropped the sweater you were wearing onto the floor, letting the TARDIS take care of it. It was currently 9 o’clock at night (at least, it was according to the cheap watch you’d brought with you last time the Doctor picked you up) and you still had yet to settle on an outfit for the Doctor’s next surprise; the day had been full of them, but according to the timelord she’d saved the best for last. You were supposed to dress “comfortably.” Despite her instruction, you still wanted to dress nicely for her- which made the outfit selection process a lot more difficult as the signals mixed. 

“You almost ready?” The Doctor asked eagerly. She was sitting on a staircase down from where you were to give you privacy. You had no idea where the staircases lead, but the TARDIS wardrobe seemed to be full of them. More closets, perhaps? 

“Not quite” You said with a frown. “Are you sure you can’t just pick something out for me?” 

There was a pause and, for the briefest of moments, the worry that you’d said something wrong. The Doctor cleared her throat and gave a small chuckle. “Not sure my fashion sense would be best this time round” 

_“Pleaaaaaaaaaasssssseeeeee?_ ” You whined, kicking the pile of discarded clothes aside in defeat. “It could be another fun birthday surprise!” 

The selling point worked and the Doctor stood from her sitting place. You covered yourself with a rob that had miraculously appeared on a hanger near you as she ascended the stairs. 

“Alright, if you insist” She murmured with a playful roll of her eyes, avoiding you with them. 

“Well it _is_ my special day” You answered back. She flashed you a split-second smile and began shifting through the infinity of clothes contained- if contained was even a word that could be applied to such a space - the wardrobe. 

You took a seat on a couch in the corner, admiring the crystalline walls. According to the Doctor, the wardrobe and hallways always changed to match the console whenever the space-time machine deemed it time for a remodel. Running your fingers over the wall, your mind drifted to possible earlier versions of the rooms, similar to your late night musings about the Doctor’s previous personalities. 

“Here,” she said, breaking you out of your focus. In her left hand she held a pair of jeans and thick snow boots. The boot matched the geometric designed multicolored winter jacket in her right hand, and the hat she was also trying to cling on to. 

“Good?” She asked, pulling matching mittens off of an unseen surface and between her teeth (the only method of display she had left) You laughed at her ridiculous position, deciding to toy with her a little further. 

“Sorry, Doctor, what was that?” 

“Iz thwis gwood?” Came her muffled repeat, garbled by the garment she had shoved into her mouth. You bit the inside of your cheek to stop yourself from ruining the game so soon. 

“Sorry, still didn’t catch that” The Doctor took a deep breath, preparing to respond, when one of the mittens fell out of her mouth. The soft impact broke through your willpower and you let out a loud laugh- one that was only encouraged by the Doctor’s annoyed expression. 

“Special day!” You used as armor. She picked the mitten off the floor and dumped her selections onto the couch next to you, setting her hands on her hips. 

“Very funny. Now get dressed, the ice lakes of- oh! Not supposed to say that. Don’t worry, though, that’s not the whole surprise!” She laughed nervously. “Alright… I’m going to … sit over there. “ 

She returned to her stair seat, huffing and mumbling under her breath about “Almost ruining it” You shrugged and started to pull on the pieces, sighing at the comfort that the thick winter jacket gave you. _Ice lakes, hmm?_ It only took a few minutes and you were fully clothed, running your hands over your new outfit. It fit you perfectly, the colors complimenting your natural features well. 

“Thanks for helping her out, old girl” You whispered to the mirror in front of you. The lights grew a little brighter in response and you smiled. 

“Alright! All dressed” You cheered. The Doctor stepped in front of you again, grinning. 

“You look brilliant. Guess my talents were useful after all.” 

“For sure,” You chuckled. She held out her arm and you linked yours with it, nerves buzzing at the gesture and proximity. You experimentally reached your free hand towards her to rest it on her bicep, which, to your surprise, was quite established. The timelord adjusted to the touch immediately, leading you towards the doors of the wardrobe room. Like all TARDIS doors, they slid open when one approached. Or, more accurately, they _should have_ slid open when you approached. The Doctor’s smile turned into a frown and she stepped back, taking you with her, then stepped forward again. 

The door did not budge. 

The Doctor chuckled, face relaxed, but there was a hint of nervousness to her tone. “Sure it’s just the old girl forgetting to open it. See?” She stepped closer and the door still did not open. You felt a mix of amusement and your own nervousness rise within you. 

“Uh, it’s still not opening.” 

“Yeahhhh….” The Doctor trailed off, pursing her lips. “Maybe she’s doing maintenance down that way. Lets try another” 

She pulled you towards another one of the doors available, re-establishing her grin. Once again, as the two of you approached, the door stayed closed. The Doctor’s grin did not fall; instead it stayed, although obviously forced. “Just need to try again, of course!” 

So the two of you went down each pathway and stairwell, up to each and every door displaced in the wardrobe room, until only one remained with the possibility of success. 

“Just the old girl having fun with us for your birthday, _right?_ ” the Doctor grumbled through gritted teeth. Your arms were no longer linked, hers crossed tightly against her chest. Yours were rolling the zipper of the winter jacket between two fingers, wondering if you should take it off. It was getting awfully hot in the room, and the sour attitudes slowly being adopted did nothing to help. 

“Doctor, I’m sure that's the case,” You tried to calm her down. “Look, we singled it down to one door. Obviously it’s this one”

However, as you stepped closer, you couldn’t shake the feeling that you had just jinxed things. Your fingers clenched into fists in your anxiety, the Doctor tensing as well. One last door. One last door. 

You were 10 feet away, and the door had not budged. 9 feet. 8 feet. 7 feet. 6 feet. 5 feet. 4 feet. 3 feet. 2 feet. And finally, 1 foot away. The Doctor hit her forehead against the door, groaning obnoxiously. Your limbs went limp, and your own groan matched the timelords. 

“I don’t understand!” The Doctor cried, pushing on the door.

“It’s not push,” You offered, and she glared at you. You awkwardly lifted your wrist to check the time. It was already 10 pm. The two of you had spent an entire hour out of the limited birthday hours left simply trying to leave a room. The Doctor cemented her feet and pushed against the door horizontally, grunting and groaning with the sheer effort. You knew that it was no use, trying to fight a time machine. 

“Doctor,” You said softly. 

“I will get us out of here,” She groaned, straining harder. 

“Doctor!” You yelled. She jumped in surprise and nearly fell to the floor. You offered a hand and lifted her back up. “It’s okay. Just try and think of what’s happened. If you don’t know we could always wait it out. I’m sure the TARDIS will sort it” 

The Doctor nodded, reaching to tuck her hair behind her ear. You completed the task for her and she grabbed your hand, bringing it back down by her side. 

“I’m sorry that this is happening. Such a waste of time. Hopefully there’s still time for the ice lakes.” 

“We’re in a time machine, Doctor. There’s _always_ time for the bone lakes.” You said, squeezing her hands reassuringly. She lifted yours to her mouth, giving it a soft kiss as you pulled her back towards one of the couches so the two of you could sit and think. 

“But it won’t be a special birthday surprise” She whispered mournfully. You shook your head as she took a seat next to you, flopped over the couches surface with a frown. You scooted over so that her arm was practically over your shoulders, leaning into her side. 

“We’ve still got time left. 2 hours, according to my watch.” 

“You still have one of those?” The Doctor asked. You flashed the timepiece, letting her examine it. “Interesting. Most people who’ve traveled with me get rid of them. But I’ll add watches to the list of potential presents for the future.” 

“You don’t have to get me anything,” You laughed, as her fingers wrapped around your wrist in a not so subtle attempt to measure what size of watch she should shop for. 

“Of course I do,” She whispered. You realized how close the two of you were, leaning into one another. It was wonderful, despite the fact that your rising body temperature and winter coat combining to make everything feel utterly 

“I really need to get out of this coat,” You groaned. The Doctor’s eyes widened and you laughed, pushing yourself up off the couch and walking over to one of the clothing racks, hiding behind it so you could change. 

“I’ve had an idea!” The Doctor called from her place on the couch. You threw the coat across the room, thankful to be freed from your role as a hot pocket. The mittens and hat went next, followed by the snow boots. 

“Oh?” You inquired, unlacing them and setting them against the wall (deciding throwing them was not a safe option) When the timelord didn’t answer, you raised a brow. Keeping the jeans, you pulled a random shirt off of the clothes rack and pulled it over your head. 

“I visited Midnight and all I got was this lousy T-shirt?” You read, laughing to yourself. “What’s Midnight?” You asked. Once again, you got no response. With the TARDIS already malfunctioning once, you didn’t want to take any chances- what if she had misplaced the Doctor herself? You leapt out from behind the clothing rack. 

Thankfully, the Doctor was still stuck with you. Or, at the very least, you assumed it was the Doctor. Her entire body was hidden underneath a very large panda costume. You blinked, unsure of how to react. 

“Um. Doctor?” 

She laughed underneath the costume, shoulders shaking. “Just because we can’t go watch the great Stavron migration under the ice lakes doesn’t mean we can’t have fun! I thought a little bit of dress up would do the trick.” 

You laughed with her, poking the costume curiously. “When people say dress up I imagine fancy suits and dresses- where’d you even get this?” 

“I’ll never reveal my secrets!” She yelled. “Hang on” 

You watched her disappear behind a clothing rack, the Panda costume thrown across the room and landing in an awkward heap. A few more clothes followed suit before the Doctor emerged again, dressed from head to toe in a mish-mash of patterns and colors, topped off with a large brimmed red hat. 

“Doctor,” You laughed, “Come on, what’s all of this?” 

“A laugh!” She said, tipping her obnoxious hat in your direction. She smirked. “Looks like it’s working, hmm?” 

She disappeared a couple more times, with a different extravagant outfit each time. A three piece suit with a cowboy hat pattern accompanied by an actual cowboy hat, which reached the ceiling. A Zygon costume with a pink tutu to (not) match. Every single one made you laugh harder, until you had to hold your stomach to stop yourself. At some point she’d taken the knitted chicken hat she found and pulled it on top of your head with a mischievous smile. 

You were out of breath and your jaw ached, but it was the best pain you’d ever felt. The Doctor, realizing she’d pushed you past giggling limits, jumped back onto the couch next to you. She was currently wearing a large rainbow sweater with far too many enamel pins to count, pants that were striped in blue and pink, clown shoes, and a pair of fluffy mouse ears. 

“Doctor... “ You whined. “Where do you even find these clothes” 

“All sorts of places!” She said, feigning offence. “You don’t like the sweater?” 

“I _love_ the sweater.” You reassured her. You lifted your wrist again. 10:30 pm. The Doctor frowned at the clock's face. 

“Do you want to check the doors again?” She asked softly, searching your face for any sign of discontent. 

“No,” You whispered, shaking your head. If you went around checking all of them again, it would likely lead to more disappointment and you only had so little time on your birthday left. “Will you tell me some stories to pass the time instead?” 

“Are you sure? We might miss out on the ice lakes for your special day” You smiled at the Doctor’s adorable frown and her concern. You placed a hand on her cheek, using her thumb to smooth the frown upward into a smile. 

“Doctor, you’ve already made today- and everyday- beyond special. You could sit here with me for the rest of eternity doing _nothing_ and it would be all I could ever ask for.” 

“Y/n,” She murmured, her gaze softening and form relaxing. “You’re far too kind. Anything you could ever ask for, really?” 

You stared up into her hazel eyes, the ones that held an infinity of experience and knowledge, and offered an endless landscape of color and love, and your smile grew. No present, or memory, or trip could ever equate to the women you held in your hands and your heart. “Well,” You began, biting your lip. “I was thinking I could ask you for a kiss as well.” 

The Doctor’s eyes widened briefly but she gave no hesitation in her nod, which was eager. You sighed in relief and closed the distance between the two of you, absorbing every spark you felt as your lips met. The Doctor pressed more eagerly, and you carefully wound your arms around her neck to hold her tighter. The Doctor, trying to figure out what to do with her own hands, explored the area around your shoulders as you broke away for a quick, deep breath, before kissing her again. 

Her hands moved upward to cradle your head, and for a moment, you felt a slight bit of pressure against what would be the comb of the chicken’s head when a ** _chicken cry_** rang throughout the room. 

The Doctor pulled back, mortified. 

“Uh- what the _fuck_ was that” You stammered, face still red from the Doctor’s being pressed against it. 

“There- There’s a button there. For the noise, and I pressed it,” She answered quickly, face draining of blood. You blinked, unsure of how to respond. Your hands were still wrapped around the Doctor’s neck, which you could feel heating up. Deciding the situation was simply too incredible, you involuntarily let out a loud bark of a laugh, slapping one of your hands to your mouth to try and cover it up. 

The Doctor watched with eyes as wide as saucers as you lost it, trying to stop yourself. 

“I- I had no idea that was there! I swear! I’ve worn it before and everything and it’s never-” 

“Doctor,” you chuckled. “Doctor it’s fine, if anything it’s hilarious” 

“I didn’t imagine our first kiss being hilarious,” She said with a huff. Your face went slack. 

“You didn’t. _. Imagine?_ ” The Doctor avoided your gaze, adjusting her sweater. 

“N-Not that I imagined our first kiss of course, that would be weird. Right?” Her eyes shot back to you, brow furrowed. 

“Not at all.” You responded. You reached up to toy with the strands of the chicken hat, taking your chance to admit your own wishes “I imagined it too…” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Couple times.” 

“Was it?” 

“Was it what?” 

“What you imagined.” 

“Not exactly,” You admitted. “But I liked it. A lot.” 

“Oh!” The Doctor breathed, scratching the back of her neck. “Good. That’s always good.” 

“Do you know what would be better?” 

“What?” 

“Another one.” You pleaded, pouting. The Doctor grinned and dipped downward to capture your lips once more. Before they could meet you placed a single finger inbetween the two of you, preventing the contact. It was the Doctor’s turn to pout, looking adorably confused. “Another one after you tell me a story.” 

“Why can’t I kiss you now and then again after the story” She whimpered. You considered what she’d said, trying not to break. “Because it’s my birthday and I say so?” You offered. “Now tell me a story. One about a crazy adventure, and don’t spare a single detail.” 

“Alright, I suppose I can’t refuse a request on your birthday. Even if it’s not a birthday surprise I’ll do my best to make it happen; I’m amazing at stories.” She leaned back against the couch, offering her arm for you to slide under. You accepted it, cuddling into her side. 

She told more than one story, her voice soft and her eyes looking off into the distance, lost inside the memories she was describing to you. If you found yourself awake enough to latch onto your words, you could almost slip into them yourself. Five stories in, you spared one last glance at your watch. 11:58. 

Deciding it was good to call your birthday over with, you allowed your eyelids to shut. You felt the Doctor kiss you once more, on the forehead, before letting you drift away in her arms. Though the day hadn’t gone as expected, you couldn’t have wished for anything else.


End file.
